Roll and bun splitter



March 28, 1933; V s R LARSQN 1,903,238

ROLL AND BUN SPLITTER Filed July 29, 1952 I fi d I Patented Mar. 28, 1933 PATENT OFFICE}.

svmr r. mason, or BERKELEY, canmozamn ROLL AND BUN SPLITTER Application filed July 29,

This invention is a roll and bun splitter and especially directed to a hand fed device for splitting rolls and buns which are to be associated with various prepared food prodnets to form sandwiches, especially such 'as the usual hot dog or hamburger sandwich.

The usual method of splitting rolls and buns, as presently applied is to split the rolls and buns with an ordinary knife, operated by hand, which does not insure even splitting of the rolls or buns, as in some cases they are split clear through and in others they are not split deep enough.

My invention provides a device which will split all rolls or buns to an even depth, which may be regulated by special adjustments provided on the device. V v

The main object of the invention, there= fore, is to provide a hand fed automatic roll and bun splitter which will provide uniform splitting means throughout a batch of rolls or buns, and which may be adjusted for rolls or buns of different sizes. Another objectof the invention is to pro- 5 vide a device as outlined, with special adjustable features whereby the location of the split may be varied, and also being provided with adjustable gauges and chute, whereby difi'erent sizes of rolls and buns may be fed through the device, and whereby the depth of the cut through the bun may be controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide special mounting means, in the form of a standard which may be placed in any convenient position without the necessity of securing the device in any permanent or fixed position, and which mounting means is provided with suitable frictional securing means so that the roll or bun splitter may be adjusted to the proper angle to permit the rolls or buns to gravitationally pass through the chute with such an inclination as to overcome the frictional resistance between the roll or bun and the chute.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentas the following description is read on the drawing-forming a part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters are used to indi- 10 1982. Serial No. 825,826.

cate similar parts throughout the several views, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention,

Fi 2 is a plan view of the chute and adjusta le gauges,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line 33'of Fig. 2. e

The invention consists of an electric m0- tor 10 which is mounted on a bracket 11, and secured. thereto by means of the screws 12, g although any other mounting means for the motor may be provided, and-which. will in a great measure depend upon the type of motor.

The bracket 11 has two spaced apart, de-' 65 pending ears 13, which ears are provided for pivotally mounting the bracket.

A standard consisting of a base 14, which may be of circular form and should preferably have suflicient weight to stabilize the en- 7 tire device, anda pair of spaced apart, upstanding legs 15, between which are pivoted the ears 13, the motor 10 being mounted between the spaced apart ears13. The pivotal connection 16 is provided with suitable se 7 curing means, such as a thumb nut 17, which may be tightened to secure the bracket 11 in angularly adjusted position.

F ixedly secured in the bosses 18, which are integral with the bracket 11, are the screws 19 with which the thumb nuts 20 cooperate, for securing the chute and gauge in adjusted position.

The chute is preferably formed of sheet metal and consists over its greater portion 5 substantially of an L shaped member having the base 21 which is provided with slots 22 to permit adjustment on the screws 19, andwhich chute also is provided with the integral gauge piece 22,.a guard 23 extending transversely from the upper edge of the gauge piece 22 for the purpose of efiicientl guarding the saw or knife24, a portion of the guard being broken away in Fig. 2 to clearly disclose the saw or knife 24. An aperture 25 is provided in this gluard to permit adjustment of the saw on t e shaft of the motor 10. A slot 26,

transversely elongated, is also formed in the base 21, to clear the hub 2"; of the motor A' gauge 28 of substantially L shaped construction, is provided with-a pair of spaced apart slots 29 for sliding cooperation with the screws 19, the upstanding leg 30 of the gauge converging from the upper ends 31 as indicated, for the purpose of facilitating the feeding of the rolls or buns through the device, a similar slot 26 being provided in the base of the gauge for clearing the hub 27 of the motor. A saw or knife clearing slot 32 is" formed in the upstanding leg 30 of the gauge 28 for clearing the saw, the slot being of suflicient width to permit adjustment of the knife or saw on the shaft 33 of the motor.

The saw 24 is preferably made very thin and is also preferably provided with saw teeth about the periphery, the saw preferably being possibly .015 of an inch in thickness, or even less, so as to provide a clean cut in the roll or bun. The saw may be secured on the shaft 33 by any known means, and is indicated as secured by a pair of opposed nuts 34 between which the saw is securely clamped, and by which means the saw is coincidently adjustable as to height from the base 21.

It will be noted that with the device adjusted in angular position as shown in Fig.

1, that the member 22 may be adjusted to any desired position to re ulate the depth of cut in the bun or roll, t e depth being determined by the distance 35 between theperiphcry of the saw 24 and the gauge element 22.

The other gauge element 30 is then adjusted to the proper position to permit the roll or bun 36 to freely pass between the gauge element 22 and the gauge element 30, the inclination of the chute being such that the roll or bun will slide down the chute by gravity to be engaged by the knife or saw 24:, which is rotating in the direction of travel correspondinfito the roll or bun, and thereby draws the r0 or bun down through the chute coincident with the slitting operation. The two gauges after adjustment are secured in position by means' of the thumb nuts 20, and the inclination of the chute-is secured by means of the thumb nuts 17. y 1

This device operates ata very high rate of speed, depending entirely upon the speed with which the rolls orbuns can be delivered into the chute. A clean cut is produced with sub-' 1. A roll splitter comprisinga base, a bracket hingedly supported by said base for varying the angular relation therebetween, a motor having a shaft and mounted on, and depending from said bracket, a rotary knife adjustably secured on said shaft, a chute having sides and mounted on said bracket in a plane parallel to said knife, means for adjusting the width of the chute.

2. A roll splitter comprising a base, a bracket hingedly supported by said base for varying the angular relation therebetween,

a motor having a shaft and mounted on, and depending from said bracket, a rotary knife ad ustably secured on said shaft, a chute having sidesand mounted on said bracket in a plane parallel to said knife, means for adjusting the width of the chute to suit the width of the roll and means for gauging the depth of the split.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SVEN P. LARSON. 

